Ethiopia, April-May 2012:
Lalibela
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Click on any
photo to get a full-resolution version. Then, return to this page by clicking
on your browser′s ″Go back one page″. Lalibela is famed for its rock-hewn churches. Known initially as Roha, it was a capital of the Zagwe
dynasty. It was later named after King Lalibela,
the king of this dynasty who is credited for the construction of the
churches. The churches date from the 12th and 13th
centuries. The 11 churches in Lalibela are divided
into two clusters, the northwestern cluster (6 churches) and southeastern one
(4 churches). One church, Bet Giyorgis, stands
apart from these two clusters. In each of the two clusters, the churches are
connected to each other by narrow passages and tunnels. Many of the churches
are monolithic. The largest, Bet Medhane Alem (3rd to 9th photos below), is
11.5m in height. The architectural design, carving process planning, and
actual crafting of the churches are stunning achievement: both their inside
and outside are carved from the same rock! I like better the cliff setting of
some rock-hewn churches of Tigray (some actually predate those in Lalibela),
but the churches in Lalibela are more impressive by
their sheer size and overall architecture. |
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Main street |
Old house (made
from excavated rocks) |
Churches of
the northwestern cluster |
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Churches of
the northwestern cluster |
Bet Giyorgis church |
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Churches of
the southeastern cluster |
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Churches of
the southeastern cluster |
Tunnels and narrow
passages |
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Tunnels and narrow
passages between churches |
Saturday market |
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Saturday market |
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Saturday market |
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